In Madrid, dog poo left in public places is mailed back to owners

By Tom | Small Business

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One way to ensure dog owners pick up their pet’s waste is to offer them and incentive – something the Terra Poo Wifi campaign trialled in Mexico’s parks. Another option is to use negative reinforcement. The Council of Brunete’s Cacas Express scheme saw those neglecting to pick up their dog’s poo have it sent back to them in the post.

The council had previously worked with advertising agency McCann on a scheme that sent a motorized plastic dog poo around the municipal region with a message to encourage the cleaning up of pet waste. Noting that the campaign only saw temporary success, the local authority once again hired the agency for its new initiative. 20 agents were hired to follow citizens around the region to catch those who were letting their dogs foul in public places without clearing it up. The agents boxed the poo then approached the culprits and started a friendly conversation to determine the dog’s name and breed. This information was later cross-referenced with the town’s registered pet database to find out the name and address of the owner. The poo was then delievered to them as property from the ‘Lost & Found Department’, along with a notice informing them that next time there would be a fine. The video below explains more about the campaign:

According to the team behind the stunt, dog fouling has actually decreased by 70 percent in the region. Could councils reduce other kinds of anti-social behavior in this way?